ECSD LINC Program

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​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Welcome to the Edmonton Catholic School District (ECSD) Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) program. We are a not for profit organization funded by the Government of Canada to provide language instruction to refugees, landed immigrants and permanent residents.

ECSD first opened its doors to the LINC program in 1992. It had had various forms of English as a Second Language Instruction (ESL) programs before, but this was the start of a new program initiated by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada or IRCC (previously known as Citizenship and Immigration Canada or CIC). It has grown from a small program of a few classes to one of the largest LINC programs in Edmonton with 99 staff and 900/1000 students per year.

​Schools and Programs

We currently have four schools: Sacred Heart Foundations LINC (for Literacy students only) offered in the daytime and evening; One World…One Centre that offers CLB Levels 1 through to 6 in the daytime and evening; Cardinal Collins that offers CLB classes in the evenings only and, finally, the St. Francis Women's Foundations LINC program for women only.

Students are first assessed, using the Canadian Language Benchmarks(CLB) framework for English at the Language Assessment Referral
and counseling Centre (LARCC),Catholic Social Services. Based on these assessments, the student is
then offered a variety of schools within the City that they can go to tin order
to meet their language and travelling needs.

Upon entering our school, the students are then provided with a binder that they will keep and take with them wherever they go. This binder contains a record of their language journey.​ ​We also provide support
services which includes a Career Counsellor and a Student Counsellor, daycare for full time students, as well
as field trips, guest speakers and participation in cultural and local events. ​

Mission

We commit to language instruction, settlement support, and multicultural inclusion for newcomers transition into Canadian society.